painted concrete pool

Aug 1, 2012
6
Just found the site - i only regret not having found this years ago..... :roll:

Am in my 3rd house with a pool so I am quite experienced with some of the trials and tribulations of pool ownership..... :evil:

Currently in the 7th season with this approx. 40-50 year old concrete pool. This fall it will again be time to re-paint (last time done spring of 2010) BUT I need to find a better solution.

The two-part epoxy has been applied three times since I've owned the pool. The first time I even took a chip into the pool store to confirm it had last been applied over another two-part epoxy and not over chlorinated rubber.

The first application failed quickly, leaving a chalky residue. My buddy the painter said that it might have been due to too much pigment in the paint (deep royal blue).

The second application also got chalky, leaving a residue on feet, hands, etc. by the second year.

This application is starting to get chalky, but numerous blisters/bubbles are now popping. :x

During each application I strictly adhered to the manufacturer's instructions, including surface prep, pre-painting dry time, not painting under direct sun on too warm of a surface, and proper dry time. In addition, I paid my buddy's crew to have it professionally done. (By the way, the manufacturer's warranty department has not been of assistance). :grrrr:

As a side-note, this past spring I scraped the edge, or lip, of the pool (above the waterline) due to paint shrinking/cracking/chipping and I was able to scrape sheets of old paint almost down to the bare concrete and noticed wetness under that paint. My buddy the painter thinks that part of the paint failure could be due to groundwater leaching through the concrete.... :?

The concrete has no cracks, but there are some "pinholes" in the paint (rough spots in the original concrete where the paint didn't completely fill-in). Smaller divots on the edge, or lip, of the pool I filled with bondo.

Sandblasting, patching and re-painting is an option - a very labor intensive option that, considering weather in Michigan, may not allow for a sufficient dry spell this fall in order to allow for proper paint set-up. In addition, I would expect the two-part epoxy to fail again within just a couple of years. :hammer:

I've briefly looked into having the pool recoated with Marcite. But I've learned even that may fail within the next few years. :?:

I've looked into uglassit/fibre-shelkote/ultraguard but am not wholly enamored with those products. :?

A local contractor will be providing me a quote on a vinyl liner, but concedes he never has installed one on a kidney-shaped pool. :oops:

Does anyone have any suggestions/opinions they'd like to share? Thanks in advance of your reply.

I do continue to purchase lottery tickets in hope of someday installing a new pool.... :party:
 
I would seriously consider plaster. However you'll have to completely remove all that paint (down to the concrete). This can be done by sandblasting, however I've seen superior preps with very high pressure water blasting (think 8000 PSI); not your backyard pressure washer.

Properly prepped and applied, marcite (or better yet one of the aggregate finishes will give you years of trouble free performance.

Anyone who has told you that you'll only get two years out of a plaster job is confused.
 
Lushlife,

The first pool I owned was much like yours. It was a DIY concrete block pool. Maybe it had been "plastered" with a skim coat of cement, maybe not. At least 20-years old when I got it, it had been painted every year or two with pool paint from http://www.sausea.com/. Located in Mt. Holly, NJ, with lots of freeze-thaw cycles. Looked good enough, didn't leak, and hosted many good times.

My first season, I sandblasted years of paint off. Rented sandblaster, first time user, easy as pie. Getting the used sand out was harder. Ended up hiring a company with the required equipment necessary to vac it out. Then, without any other prep, I painted with the paint I mentioned. I'm not endorsing the Sausea paint, except to say it worked for me and I have no experience with other brands. It didn't have to dry for long, if at all. As a matter of fact, it could even be applied underwater, like if you had a chip, you could load up a brush with the paint and slap it on underwater. Sounds crazy, but I actually did it.

My suggestion, if you go the paint route, paint with a paint of your choice. Expensive, epoxy products are high-cost, high-energy to apply, but last a while. Cheaper, easier to apply products may have to be re-applied yearly, but re-painting my 16X32 8' deep pool took less than 4 hours (that's how long it took me, liberally hydrated with Bud). Just don't paint yourself into the deep end. That wet paint is wicked slippery.

Good luck!
 
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